USDA Seeks Variety to Help American Agriculture Flourish

From the USDA:

Posted by Ruihong Guo, Agricultural Marketing Service Science and Technology Program Deputy Administrator, on January 27, 2015 at 1:00 PM

Gardeners, farmers and dreamers are finding it’s a good time to think about the variety of seeds and plants for spring. AMS Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) grants certificates of intellectual property protection to encourage the development of new varieties of plants. Photo courtesy of Stacey Shintani.

While most of the country is braving cold and blustery winter conditions, farmers and gardeners are busy looking ahead to the spring. They are contemplating the variety of seeds or the plants that they will use. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) increases the options for our farmers, gardeners, and plant breeders by making sure there is an abundance of varieties available.

We do this through our Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO), which grants certificates of intellectual property protection to developers of new plant varieties. These certificates enable breeders to market their variety exclusively for 20 years. The protection is an incentive for the development of new and improved varieties.

To find ways to gain new ideas, evaluations and insights about our program, USDA works closely with our key stakeholders through an important advisory committee — the Plant Variety Protection Board.

USDA is currently seeking candidates for the Plant Variety Protection Board. Serving on the board is a great opportunity for a number of reasons. You can join a group of stakeholders from across the industry looking to pool their expertise and resources to develop new varieties. As a board member, you can also help continue agricultural production and increase food security.

We encourage people from all backgrounds to seek a position on the board. Current members are farmers, plant breeders, seed industry experts, university professors, and lawyers who have involvement with plant varieties. We believe that having a diverse advisory committee helps strengthen the future of American agriculture. Together, we can face an increasing world population, climate change, and plant pest/disease outbreaks.

Nomination packages must be received on or before Feb. 6, 2015. The board usually meets two times a year – a teleconference and a face to face meeting at the American Seed Trade Association’s December meeting in Chicago. Members serve for two years and can be reappointed for up to three consecutive terms. The current board’s term will expire in May 2015.

USDA is committed to plant variety protection. It is a great benefit to us all. If you have a passion for plant variety protection, we encourage you to seek a spot on the board.

There is an amazing variety of seeds and plants available to us today. That’s why plant variety protection is important to both U.S. and international agriculture. Photo courtesy of Ritesh Man.

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Organic 101: Organic Seeds Are Fundamental Right from the Start

From USDA:

This is the twenty-second installment of the Organic 101 series that explores different aspects of the USDA organic regulations.

The fall harvest is in, and organic farmers are already looking forward to planting their spring seedlings.  Organic farmers rely on organic seeds to meet the growing demand for certified organic products. These seeds are essential to the integrity of the supply chain for quality organic food, feed and other products.  All organic producers must use organic seeds, annual seedlings and planting stock unless organic varieties are not commercially available.

To meet the increased demand for organic seeds, the National Organic Program (NOP), part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is collaborating and sharing information with the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and its partner, the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), to better understand the organic seed market and to help farmers locate seed producers and supplies.

For example, NOP supported the creation of the AOSCA Organic Seed Finder, a website that allows organic seed vendors and potential customers to find one another.  Certifying agents and organic operations can use this tool to locate available organic seed and ensure the integrity of those seeds.

The use of organic seed is also an important aspect of organic certification.  During each farm’s annual review and inspection, certifying agents also verify that certified operations use organic seed varieties.  Certifying agents also make sure that USDA organic products meet all of the organic standards, including reviewing substances and inputs used to treat seeds and planting stock.  This review assures buyers and sellers that any seed treatments are approved for organic production.  Like other organic products, seeds used in organic agriculture cannot be genetically engineered or be treated with prohibited substances.

It is amazing to think that something as small as a seed can have such a huge role in providing organic food to consumers around the world.  USDA is committed to supporting the entire organic community and ensuring the integrity of organic products from seed to table.

USDA is committed to supporting the organic community and ensuring the integrity of organic products from seed to table.